Teen posed with gun in racist post, SC school says. Police say no charges will be filed
A high school student in Upstate South Carolina posed for a photo with a gun and a poster with a racist message, Greenville County school officials said, according to Fox Carolina.
The photo, posted to social media, prompted investigations by school officials and police at Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, South Carolina, the TV station reports.
The image was first shared on Snapchat, the Greenville News reports, but has since been spread on Facebook by concerned parents and community activists. The image depicts a teenager posing with a long gun and a sign that includes a racial slur.
Greenville schools spokeswoman Beth Brotherton “said the district will investigate whether what is pictured is actually what the girl posted or if it was altered and shared,” according to the newspaper.
The student in the image was not at school Tuesday, Brotherton told WYFF. “Hillcrest is operating on a normal schedule,” she said, the TV station reports.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have extra district personnel on campus,” she said, according to WYFF.
The spokeswoman said school officials asked police to investigate, WSPA reports. “It is our understanding at this point that criminal charges are not going to be filed,” she said, according to WSPA.
“It became something where we now need to get in touch with the student and her family and address this according to our behavior code,” Brotherton told WSPA.
